Combination golf ball carrier and dispenser



Sept. 14, 1965 SMITH, ETAL' 3,206,067

COMBINATION GOLF BALL CARRIER AND DISPENSER Filed Aug. 6. 1962 Hank B Smflh Jr. Sfcph en G. McNei 1 IN V EN TORS BY @@M gen? United States Patent 3,206,067 COMBINATION GOLF BALL CARRIER AND DISPENSER Frank B. Smith, Jr., 5500 SW. 14th Ave., Portland, Greg,

and Stephen G. McNeil, 13720 SW. Brightweod,

Beaverton, Oreg.

Filed Aug. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 215,018 2 Claims. (Cl. 221-281) This invention relates to golfing equipment, and more particularly to a combination golf ball carrier and dispenser adapted for mounting on a golf cart.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a combination golf ball carrier and dispenser which is adapted for mounting upon the handle of a collapsible golf cart and is capable of retaining golf balls therein either in the extended or retracted position of the golf cart handle.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a combination golf ball carrier and dispenser which is of extremely simplified construction for economical manufacture.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from. the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a collapsible golf cart arranged in carrying position and showing mounted on the handlethereof a combination golf ball carrier and dispenser embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a foreshortened plan view of a combination golf ball carrier and dispenser embodying the features of the present invention, a portion thereof being broken away to disclose details of internal construction;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a form of clamp by which to mount the combination golf ball carrier and dispenser on the handle of a golf cart; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 in FIG. 3.

The combination golf ball carrier and dispenser of the present invention is adapted particularly for mounting upon the foldable handle of a collapsible golf cart 12 of the conventional type exemplified in FIG. 1.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the combination golf ball carrier and dispenser includes an elongated hollow cylinder 14. The internal diameter of the cylinder is chosen to be only slightly greater than the diameter of a conventional golf ball 16, and is preferably of a length suflicient to house five or six golf balls, stacked one against the other. The cylinder may be made of plastic, cardboard, metal, or any other suitable material. For purposes which will appear hereinafter, it is preferred to construct the cylinder of thin gauge metal.

In the illustrated embodiment, golf balls are fed into the cylinder through one open end, herein called the infeed end 18, and removed from the opposite open end, herein called the dispensing end 20. Means are provided adjacent the opposite ends of the cylinder for resiliently restricting the internal diameter of the cylinder to prevent the unrestricted passage of golf balls therethrough. As il lustrated, a U-shaped cut 22 is made in the cylinder wall adjacent the infeed end 18 with the spaced ends of the cut facing the infeed end of the cylinder. The cylinder Wall segment 24 defined by the cut forms a resilient leaf spring. This spring then is bent inward at its free end, which faces the dispensing end of the cylinder, to form a resilient obstruction to the passage of a golf ball.

In similar manner, a U-shaped cut 26 is made in the cylinder wall adjacent the dispensing end 20, with the spaced ends of the cut facing the infeed end 18 of the cylinder. The segment 28 defined by the cut 26 forms a resilient leaf spring which, upon being bent inward at the end facing the dispensing end of the cylinder, forms an obstruction which resiliently resists the passage of a golf ball out through the dispensing end.

Although one resilient spring adjacent each end of the cylinder is sufiicient for retaining the golf balls in the cylinder, the embodiment illustrated provides four springs 24 adjacent the infeed end 18, disposed apart, and two springs 28 adjacent the dispensing end 20, disposed a art.

An opening is provided in the cylinder wall at the dispensing end 20, to expose sufficient surface of the first golf ball 16 to the thumb or finger so that the golf ball may be pushed or pulled through the dispensing end, against the resistance of the obstructing spring 28. In the embodiment illustrated, said opening is provided in the form of at least one notch 30 cut into the cylinder wall from. the dispensing end longitudinally rearward for a length sufficient to expose more than the forward half of the golf ball. Although one such notch is sufficient, two diametrically opposed notches are provided in the embodiment illustrated. These notches are displaced 90 from the diametrically opposed resilient springs 28. By means of the two notches, the golf ball may be grasped between the thumb and finger and pulled through the dispensing end of the cylinder, as will be apparent.

In the event the cylinder is made of heavier gauge metal, plastic, or other material from which it is not practicable to strike resilient spring segments, resilient leaf springs may be secured to the inner wall of the cylinder, at the desired locations, by means of rivets or other conventional fastening means. Other resilient means, such as spring-loaded retractable balls, may be employed if desired.

The cylinder may be mounted detachably on a golf cart handle, or other suitable location, by any conventional clamping means. In the embodiment illustrated and best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the clamp is formed in part by outwardly struck segments 32, 34 of the cylinder 14. Each of these segments is provided with a longitudinal slot 36 through which to freely receive the inturned end portions 38 of a U-shaped strap 40. The closed portion of the strap is adapted to encircle a portion of the golf cart handle 10, and axially aligned openings in the strap adjacent the inturned ends 38 freely receive a clamping bolt 42 therethrough. A wing nut 44 is then tightened upon the threaded portion of the bolt to draw the clamp firmly about the handle.

The combination golf ball carrier and dispenser described hereinbefore is used as follows: The cylinder 14 is mounted upon the golf cart handle 10 so that the dispensing end 20 faces downward when the golf cart handle is unfolded to the carrying position illustrated in FIG. 1. When a golf ball is needed, the player grasps the golf ball exposed through the notches 30 and pulls the same past the resilient springs 28 out through the dispensing ends of the cylinder. The succeeding balls thereupon gravitate downward until the lowermost ball is obstructed by the springs.

When the golf cart handle 10 is folded downward, during collapsing of the cart for storage, the balls carried in the container hereupon gravitate toward the infeed end 18 of the cylinder until passage is obstructed by the resilient springs 24 provided at that end. Thus, the balls are retained securely in the container.

Additional balls are fed into the cylinder through the infeed end 18, by forcing them inward against the resistance of the springs 24.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides extremely simplified and economical means by which to facilitate the carriage and dispensing of golf balls from. a convenient place of storage on a collapsible golf cart. The device is adaptable for mounting at any convenient location on the cart or golf bag, and it functions effectively in its twofold function of storage and dispensing.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction described hereinbefore without departing from the spirit of this invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having now described our invention and the manner in which it may be used, What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combination golf ball carrier and dispenser, comprising an elongated hollow cylinder having one longitudinal end opening defining a golf ball dispensing opening, the cylinder and dispensing opening having an internal diameter slightly larger than the diameter of a golf ball to permit the passage of a golf ball longitudinally therethrough, and resiliently retractable abutment means on the cylinder adjacent the dispensing opening normally projecting into the cylinder and restricting the internal diameter thereof to less than the diameter of a golf ball for retaining the latter in the cylinder, the cylinder having a pair of diametrically opposed slots therein extending longitudinally from the dispensing opening towardthe opposite end of the cylinder and beyond the abutment means a distance sufficient only to expose a major proportion of the diameter of a golf ball positioned against the abutment means, whereby the golf ball may be gripped between the fingers and extracted from the cylinder through the dispensing opening by outward deflection of the abut ment means.

2. A combination golf ball carrier and dispenser, comprising an elongated hollow cylinder open at both longitudinal ends, one end opening defining a golf ball infeed opening and the opposite end opening defining a golf ball dispensing opening, the cylinder and end openings having an internal diameter slightly larger than the diameter of a golf ball to permit the passage of the golf ball longitudinally therethrough, and resiliently retractable abutment means on the cylinder adjacent the opposite open ends thereof normally projecting into the cylinder and restricting the internal diameter thereof to less than the diameter of a golf ball for retaining the latter in the cylinder, the cylinder having a pair of diametrically opposed slots therein extending longitudinally from the dispensing opening toward the opposite end of the cylinder and beyond the abutment means a distance sufiicient only to expose a major proportion of the diameter of a golf ball positioned against the adjacent abutment means, whereby the golf ball may be gripped between the fingers and extracted from the cylinder through the dispensing opening by outward deflection of the abutment means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,341,113 5/20 Dottl et a1. 24874 1,522,776 l/ 25 Glanzer 221309 1,739,780 12/29 Buhrke.

1,955,559 4/34 Narrow 221310 2,073,328 3/37 Wasserlein 22l-310 2,443,861 6/48 Johnston 221307 2,547,813 4/51 Coons et al. 248-74 2,768,775 10/56 Houser 221-309 2,790,500 4/57 Jones 221310 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS I; DEMBO, Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION GOLF BALL CARRIER AND DISPENSER, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOLLOW CYLINDER HAVING ONE LONGITUDINAL END OPENING DEFINING A GOLF BALL DISPENSING OPENING, THE CYLINDER AND DISPENSING OPENING HAVING AN INTERNAL DIAMETER SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF A GOLF BALL TO PERMIT THE PASSAGE OF A GOLB BALL LONGITUDINALLY THERETHROUGH, AND RESILIENTLY RETRACTABLE ABUTMENT MEANS ON THE CYLINDER ADJACENT THE DISPENSING OPENING NORMALLY PROJECTING INTO THE CYLINDER AND RESTRICTING THE INTERNAL DIAMETER THEREOF TO LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF A GOLF BALL FOR RETAINING THE LATTER IN THE CYLINDER, THE CYLINDER HAVING A PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED SLOTS THEREIN EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FROM THE DISPENSING OPENING TOWARD THE OPPOSITE END OF THE CYLINDER AND BEYOND THE ABUTMENT MEANS A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT ONLY TO EXPOSE A MAJOR PORTION OF THE DIAMETER OF A GOLF BALL POSITIONED AGAINST THE ABUTMENT MEANS, WHEREBY THE GOLF BALL MAY BE GRIPPED BETWEEN THE FINGERS AND EXTRACTED FROM THE CYLINDER THROUGH THE DISPENSING OPENING BY OUTWARD DEFLECTION OF THE ABUTMENT MEANS. 